Cell Structure Observations

Movie. Z-stack of live hiPS cell colony expressing mEGFP-tagged Nucleoporin Nup153 protein. Cells were imaged in 3D on a spinning-disk confocal microscope. Movie starts at the bottom of the cells and ends at the top. Scale bar, 5µm.

Movie. Time-lapse movie of live hiPS cell colony expressing mEGFP-tagged Nucleoporin Nup153 protein. Cells were imaged in a 3D volume spanning ~1.5 µm through the middle of the cells on a spinning-disk confocal microscope every 3 min. A single mid-level z-section is shown. Movie plays at 1800x real time. Scale bar, 5 µm.

Observations

Nucleoporin Nup153 is a protein within the nuclear pore complex (NPC). The NPC bridges the double membrane of the nuclear envelope to regulate the exchange of molecules between the nucleus and cytoplasm. Nucleoporin Nup153 is located on the nuclear side of the NPC. It is critically involved in the ability of the NPC to transport molecules between the nucleus and cytoplasm; but it also plays other roles in nuclear properties and functions, including the shape of the NPC and the nucleus, and regulation of transcription.

In hiPS cells, Nucleoporin Nup153 appears as numerous dense puncta along the nuclear envelope, including within invaginations.

During cell division, Nucleoporin Nup153 localization changes with the reorganization of the nuclear envelope. During mitosis, Nuceloporin Nup153 localizes in a dim wavy structure, likely the ER. At the end of mitosis, Nucleoporin Nup153 appears on chromosomes before finally reappearing at the nuclear envelope.